


Parallels

by okidokioopsie (norwegianssweethearts)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Post 2x08, i guess, past relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-13 17:38:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12989097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/norwegianssweethearts/pseuds/okidokioopsie
Summary: It’s too late for him, too much water has gone under the bridge. He could never regret everything that has happened in those twenty-five years. There is still a part of him that thinks he could have had a better life and he won’t let his son make the same mistake.Before trying to knock some sense into his son’s head, he has to talk to someone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> This is my first Riverdale fanfic. I hope you'll enjoy this little one-shot.  
>  I'm not an English Native speaker so I'm sorry for the mistakes, they are mine.

FP noticed right away that something was not normal. Jughead stopped mentioning Betty, stopped going to Pop’s and more importantly, stopped smiling. FP isn’t blind but he and Jug aren’t on really good terms; he wants to teach his son a quick lesson. However, the more he thinks about the situation, the more he learns about what happened when he was away, the more he is a bit worried about his son and Betty.

He also has a well-hidden heart. He can see how heartbroken Jughead is. He seems lost and powerless. FP even suspects that he doesn’t really write as much as he used to. 

FP has one goal in life; that Jughead succeeds where he failed. 

« Jug, where is Betty? » he asks, his eyes not leaving the TV. 

« I don’t know » Jughead replies after a few seconds of silence that betray the seriousness of the situation.

« You… don’t know? » he glances at his son, noticing him gulping with difficulty.

« I broke up with her » his voice is stern, because Jughead doesn’t want to seem vulnerable, but he can’t fool his dad.

« Oh. Why? You seemed smitten at the party » 

« Yeah, well… I couldn’t… It was for the best. » Jughead takes a gulp of his beverage. He’s avoiding his father’s gaze but still notices the look he’s giving him. « She … Dad, she did the Serpent’s dance. She did that for me. I … With everything going on right now, I couldn’t let her do that. I can’t protect her efficiently if she’s with me so I set her free »

He can hear his voice breaking at the end of his sentence and sees his body slouching on the sofa. 

He nods. Jughead’s logic is faulty, he knows that. He knows it too well. Jughead’s words echo his own, a lot of years ago. However, Jughead’s decision is somewhat understandable, it’s a decision he made with his golden heart. 

He has to do something, he knows it. He won’t let his loving, caring and smart son take the same path as he did.

It’s too late for him, too much water has gone under the bridge. He could never regret everything that has happened in those twenty-five years. There is still a part of him that thinks he could have had a better life and he won’t let his son make the same mistake.

Before trying to knock some sense into his son’s head, he has to talk to someone.

When Alice knocks on the trailer’s door, FP is almost surprised. He didn’t expect her to accept his invitation. He opens the door and invites her inside. Alice is beautiful, as always. She’s wearing a slinky black dress with thigh boots. It’s an outfit she could have pulled when she was part of his world and he’s not sure she didn’t choose it for that exact reason. 

He offers her black tea, with two sugars.

« Oh, you remember? » she asks, jokingly.

FP just nods. 

« So, what did you want to tell me that is too important to say on the phone? » she sits down on the couch and looks around her with curiosity.

« How is Betty ? » he replies, sitting down next to her. Not too close, not too far.

« I’m not here to make small talk, FP » she counters, rolling her eyes at him.

« How is she doing after the break-up? » he clarifies.

« Well, she’s okay, thank you for asking. » she takes a sip of her perfectly done tea. 

« Alice… » FP sighs. Hearing him say her name makes her heart melt a bit and it takes her just a few seconds to compose herself. The pleased smile on FP’s lips is proof that he saw her moment of weakness.

« It’s better that way, we both know it. Jughead and Betty realized it soon enough, I’m actually glad it was just a bit of flirting, nothing serious » Alice tells FP.

« Nothing serious, Alice, really? » FP answers, furrowing his eyebrows. « You really think that because they’re young, it’s not serious? You of all people? » he hisses. 

« Wow, calm down, Forsythe, » she replies. « I’m just saying, they realized soon enough it wasn’t going anywhere. Your son was smart enough to put a stop to all of this » the tone of her voice is accusatory.

« Your leg keeps shaking when you lie » he replies and she gives him a dirty look. « Don’t cross your arms » he adds firmly. She doesn’t move. 

« Alice, please » he begs, reaching to her arms. She flinches and uncrosses her arms. He looks at her like he wants to apologize but she shakes her head to stop him.

« I don’t… do that anymore » she says. She hopes he didn’t notice the slight blush on her cheek. _He still cares._  

« if you say so » he whispers. « Look, Alice, Jug is a brave guy. He loves Betty with all his heart. He would do anything to protect her… He broke up with her to protect her, Alice. »  he explains. 

« He is a pragmatist. » Alice replies. « Not like his dad » she bites her inner cheek to suppress a smile. 

« I’ll be honest, Jug is in trouble. He wanted to get me out of jail and contacted you know who and… I’m trying my best to get him out of that. She knows about Betty and this is why Jughead called it off - he thinks he’s protecting her from that bitch. »

Alice stops breathing for a second. She puts her mug on the table and looks at FP. « Oh. »

« We both know it doesn’t work that way. Jughead can, I can protect her better if they’re together. If Betty or Jug do not want to be together, then fine. Jug is head over heels in love with her and I’m pretty sure Betty is in love with him too, right? »

Alice nods. She bites her lips. « Oh, hmm… Yeah. She’s in love with your son » Alice admits.

 

FP moves a bit closer to her and puts his hand on her knee. Alice looks at him but doesn’t say anything. 

« Alice, Jug is not me. I don’t know how I managed to have a son like him. He’s the most… he’s the best. I’m sure you want the best for your daughters and I know that Jughead’s background is not the best and that you’d prefer a doctor’s son or something but I promise you, he will take care of Betty » he tells her.

« You seem sure that they’ll end up together, » she says quietly. His hand is burning on her knee but she can’t bring herself to move.

« Jug is smarter than me, so I guess… It’s a strong possibility, » he replies with honesty. 

« FP… » Alice breathes out. She shakes her head.

« I’m gonna try to tell Jug that to protect his girl he has to stick with her. Obviously, it’s their decision in the end but… if I had your blessings… »

Alice nods and sniffles. « Do everything you have to do to protect Elizabeth, FP.» she says firmly. « About her love life… I trust her. I can see why she fell in love with Jughead. If she wants to get back with him, she will. She doesn’t need my permission. She’s worse than me at her age, I swear. » they chuckle.  

« That’s not possible, » FP says, smiling at her.

Alice gets up suddenly. She thanks FP for the tea and goes to the door. She opens it and stops for a few seconds, hesitant. She turns over and faces FP. She smiles shyly at him. « I gave up, FP. You never did. You were the dreamer, I was too pragmatic to … but… I … You did everything you could. I just wasn’t strong enough. Our children are a better version of us. Guess we did something right. »

FP nods and Alice is gone.   

A few days later, when Alice comes home, she finds her daughter dancing in the kitchen while she’s cooking. She has let her hair down and her bright smile tells Alice everything she wants to know. 

« I’m cooking for Juggie, mom, » Betty tells her quietly, biting her lips. « He kissed me today at the office and — » she blushes when she realizes what she has just confessed to her mom but Alice smiles so she goes on. « He apologized. He wants me to be extra careful and doesn’t really want me to be a Serpent but… He said he can’t stay away » she smiles. 

Betty reminds Alice of her younger self at that exact moment. She wishes her daughter the happy ending she didn’t have.

She chose safety over passion. She thought that having money, a good situation and a great reputation in town was more important than being happy and loved on the other side of the town. 

If she’s being honest, she isn’t so sure anymore. 

« I’m happy for you, Betty, » she tells her daughter, planting a kiss on her forehead. « Hold on to this, darling. What you have with Forsythe is precious, » she whispers, which leaves Betty dumbfounded. Alice is not even sure she’s talking to Betty.

 


	2. Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is a part II.  
> I apologize for the mistakes.

“I swear, Arch,” Betty says firmly. ”It’s not normal. Jug and I, we were on my bed, watching a movie, his arm was around me and mom… She opened the door, she saw us. She told us she was leaving and winked. Archie, this is far from normal. She knew Jughead was in my room and left us alone.” She shakes her head. 

“Maybe, she just trusts you,” Archie replies, unconvincingly.  

Betty looks at him in disbelief. No, Alice doesn’t just trust her daughter.

Veronica smiles. “Anyway, the real question is have you taken advantage of being alone?” she winks at Jughead.

“We finished the movie” Jughead answers, smugly. That doesn’t mean they can remember how it ends, but Ronnie doesn’t need to know that.

“Not fun” Veronica sighs, sipping her vanilla milkshake. 

“I have to figure out what it was all about” Betty whispers.

Jughead squeezes her hand. “Maybe it’s nothing, Betts. Maybe it’s just the weather, my dad is also really weird these days when it comes to my love life” he chuckles and bites his lips. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know… He convinced me to talk to you. He said things about the Serpents, how faulty was my logic and everything, but he also confessed that my mom isn’t - or wasn’t I guess, the love of his life. He said that he knew what I was thinking about, what I was feeling because when he was a teenager, he was head over heels in love with a girl from the Northside. He said that he lost her because he tried to protect her and that he didn’t want me to make the same mistake as him, even though he doesn’t regret marrying mom and having kids with her, of course”

Betty is concentrated. She processes every word he says, staring at his lips. Her mother had called Jug Forsythe, which wasn’t that unusual but her tone had been so… nostalgic. Betty tries to remember everything - what Alice said when FP came for dinner, when they went to pick him up from jail, her mom being a Serpent…

“Juggie… Did he say who it was?” she asks him.

“No.” 

She nods. Her friends continue to talk about everything and nothing but she can’t focus. 

Later, at home, she can’t do her homework correctly, her mind is always coming back to her mother’s weird behavior. Her mom having a love story with FP Jones seem _impossible_ but she knows that she won’t be able to shake that thought away until she knows for sure why her mom is suddenly very okay with her relationship with Jughead.

Of course, she could ask her, that would be the easiest way to find out. However, a little visit in her house’s attics seems more interesting. 

She looks into a dozen of boxes before finding one that seems to contain things from her parent’s high school years. To her dismay, she has already seen everything in this box, it’s only memories of her parents’ first months of relationship. 

She finally finds a little box, hidden behind an old sheet. There is not much in it… a few pictures of young Alice, probably around Betty’s age, cinema tickets, a broken watch and a picture of Alice, leaning on a bike, someone’s arm around her waist. Alice is smiling brightly. There are other people in the shot but the focus is on Alice and that man that looks like a younger FP. _Shit._

She takes the picture with her, leaving the box where it was and heads straight for the exit. On her way to the Jones trailer, she texts her mom not to worry, that she won’t be home for dinner. She claims to have an article to finish with him for the Blue and Gold.

Luckily, Jughead is alone when she arrives. She kisses him tenderly and understands he has something in mind when he puts his hands on her waist but she has something to tell him so she stops, takes a step back and leads him to the couch.

He sits down next to her and takes the polaroid she gives him. “This is my mom,” she says, pointing at Alice. “Is that your dad?” 

Jughead looks confusingly at the picture and nods. “Hmmm.. I guess? I’ve never seen a lot of pictures of him as a teenager, but it is his bike.” He flips the picture. “Okay, that’s my dad, yes.”

Betty looks at the back of the picture, mentally slapping herself because _yes, why didn’t she think of looking at the back of the pictures?_

There’s a little poem.   

_You’re the only star_

_in my dark sky, showing me_

_how bright love can be_

_FPJ._

“It’s a haiku, I think.” Jughead whispers. “And FPJ is my dad’s signature”

“It’s… sweet.” Betty says, biting her lips. _Her mother inspired a man to write a poem_. 

“My dad loves poetry. I didn’t know he could write, though.”  

“So, our parents… dated?”

“Seems so.”

”What do we do, then?” she asks him, still a bit taken aback by her discovery. 

“Nothing? I mean, obviously, it was a long time ago and…It’s their lives.”

“I wanna know why they didn’t tell us, though. We’re dating, Juggie. They can’t pretend their relationship does not matter” she sighs. She has had enough of her mother’s lies.

Jughead runs his fingers over her spine and pulls her closer to him. “Talk to your mom, I’ll see if I can get my dad to talk” FP is still a bit angry with him, it won’t be easy.

Betty nods. “I have a little bit more time before I have to get back. Can I stay here with you?” 

Jughead smiles and kisses her cheek. ”of course. I have pizza for dinner”

She chuckles. Of course, Jug is already hungry. 

Later that night, she’s getting ready for the night when her mother comes in her room to say goodnight. 

The Polaroid is in her book. She ponders for a few seconds if it is a great time to ask her mother about it. She knows that she won’t sleep well if she doesn’t, so she takes the plunge.

“Mom, is dad your first love?” she asks, firmly.

Alice stops and looks at Betty. “Of course” she lies. Betty can see it in her eyes and she sighs.

“So FP was in love with you but you weren’t in love with him?” Betty replies, sharply. 

Alice blinks twice, stops breathing for a second and sits down on Betty’s bed. She sighs. “What did FP tell you?” she whispers. 

Betty shakes her head. “Nothing.” she takes the picture of Alice and FP. “I found this.”

Alice smiles when she sees the picture and nods. “Ah.”

“Care to explain?”

”hmmm. no.” she says. Her relationship with FP is her little secret. It is too precious to be explained. No words would explain what those few years meant, and still means in some ways, to her. 

“Mother. I’m fed up with your lies” Betty won’t give up easily. “I’m dating Jughead, mom. I deserve to know,” she adds. “Is this” she points to the picture ”why you told me to ‘hold on’?” 

Alice sighs. “Yes, Elizabeth. You won’t like the truth, okay? FP is or was, my jughead, okay? I met him when we were like 13. I was walking alone in the Southside, trying to clear my mind and he knew it could be dangerous. He had joined The Serpents just a few weeks prior. He was polite, kind to me. We started dating. We were in love, I won’t deny it, Betty. He was smart, funny, good-looking, he was everything to me. However, he was in a gang. When I was fourteen, things became complicated. Forsythe having a girlfriend from the Northside wasn’t really something the Serpent liked. I decided to join the Serpents. He was not really okay with it but I did it anyway. Things got more and more complicated. I didn’t handle seeing him getting in danger very well. We started this infernal circle of breaking up and making up two days later, only to break up again. Penny joined the Serpents and it got worse so FP broke up with me. I met your dad and… Penny knew that FP’s weakness was me. So, she scared him by attacking me. She kidnapped me for a few hours. To get me out of there, he complied with her wishes. He realized that in order to protect me, he had to be there for me, that breaking up was not the solution so he ran up here, and asked me to leave your dad.“  Alice takes a huge breath and Betty puts her hand on her shoulder. “I was so scared, Betty… So scared. I told him to go home and … the next week Fred Andrews told me that he had enrolled in the Army.”

Betty nods. She moves a bit to take her mom in her arms. “That’s why FP told Juggie to get back with me?” she feels the little nod Alice gives her on her shoulder. “That’s why you don’t care if I spend time alone with him?” another nod.

“Oh, mom” she says.

“You two have to be careful but I trust FP.” Alice says.

”Do you still love him?” Betty whispers. She is afraid of her mom’s answer.

”Could you stop loving Jughead?” Alice replies. She stands up abruptly and looks at her daughter. ”Look, there are similarities between your story and ours. FP and I, we cannot deny it. However, they’re different in so many ways. Don’t… dwell on the past, love. Live your life but you two… be safe and listen to FP, it’s not his first rodeo.” 

She leaves Betty’s room with a tiny smile to her daughter. Betty wonders if her parents love each other, if her mom loves her dad. She is too afraid of the answer to ask Alice and as she tries to sleep, she realizes that she already gave her the answer by comparing FP to her Juggie. 

*****

FP is sitting across from him, watching sports on TV. Jughead knows that he shouldn’t disturb her dad while he’s watching sports, but he is curious. When his dad confessed Gladys wasn’t the love of his life, Jughead wasn’t really surprised, but it stings a bit to know that his dad had kind of settled. If his dad's mysterious teenage love is, in fact, Alice Cooper, then it would explain some things, like why his mother does not seem to be happy about him and Betty.

“Dad, the woman you were in love with, it’s Alice Cooper, right?” Jughead says, a bit hesitant.

FP puts the TV on pause and looks at his son, a bit surprised. “Hmmm. Yes“ he replies. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“It doesn’t matter, son” FP justifies. “It was a long time ago. Allie chose Hal. It was fantastic while it lasted but then… Alice… She’s from the Northside. She belonged there. It’s her scene. I couldn’t offer her what she deserved.” 

“Betty showed me a picture of you two. You wrote her a haiku. I’m just curious, we’re just curious. I don’t… judge you or whatever, dad. ” Jug says, matter-of-factly. 

“oh.” FP chuckles. “Yeah. I tried to impress her with poetry.” he pauses and smiles, almost nostalgic of those times. “It’s a basic love story, son. We were very young when we started flirting, I was a Serpent, she wasn’t. The old generation of Serpents didn’t like that so she became one for me, because to her, it seemed logical. I tried to push her away because being in gang is dangerous, no matter what we say. She met Hal. We stopped seeing each other but I got in trouble and Penny tried to hurt Allie to pressure me into doing some ‘work’ for her. Allie was scared, rightfully. I wanted to protect her and asked her to go away with me, but she married Cooper. I went away and enrolled in the Army, met Gladys and everything fell into place again. You know the rest.“

Jughead nods. His father doesn’t show any emotions. “Don’t you have regrets?”

FP bites his lips. “I was in love with your mom, son, so no. I mean, it’s the past. It was her right to marry Cooper. I know she did the right thing. She became Alice Cooper, my Allie doesn’t exist anymore, I’m afraid. ” 

Jughead nods again. 

FP takes the remote to start the TV again but stops. “The reason why I told you everything is that I know that deep down, you think you don’t deserve Betty so you try to push her away, thinking it is the right thing to do. I know you think she will find someone that will be ‘better’ for her. This is bullshit, Jug. Don’t push her away if she wants to stay with you. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than seeing the woman you love, from afar, being in an unhappy marriage and knowing you would have loved her better. Our situation might not be the best, but if Betty wants to be loved by you, don’t force her to marry someone else.”

He doesn’t wait for Jughead’s reaction and presses play, turning his attention back to the screen.             

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Don't hesitate to leave a comment :)


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